Not to jump on the locavore bandwagon, but Iowa has too much bounty to offer to waste our meals eating prepackaged, frozen ingredients. Iowa City is situated in the middle of amazing farmland, with dozens of nearby producers raising animals and produce every day.

Salt Fork Kitchen, a new breakfast and lunch diner in Solon, takes this philosophy seriously. The restaurant sources all of its food from local producers, including its own farm, Salt Fork Farms, and Pavelka’s Farms. If you want to try a burger from cows raised just a few miles away, or scrambled eggs from chickens that live just down the street, head to Salt Fork Kitchen.

ATMOSPHERE: The small diner is situated on Main Street, with a new, red-striped awning bearing the farm’s rooster logo. Walk in the door, and it’s like walking into a small-town diner that has been there for generations. The dark wood flooring and booths have a contemporary feel, but the interior is classic. There are plenty of booths and tables of various sizes, with space for large groups. A beautiful bar sits at the back with an empty deli counter in a second dining room. My waiter told us that the restaurant soon will fill the case with prepared dinners, salads, condiments and made-to-order sandwiches including meatloaf and sloppy Joes.

My waiter was conversational, knowledgeable about the menu and excited about the food.

MENU: The reasonably priced menu is classic and New American food, with an emphasis on Midwestern favorites. Breakfast includes the usual suspects, including omelets, Mexican-inspired egg dishes, hashes, flapjacks and French toast. Like any diner worth its salt, breakfast is served all day. At lunch, Salt Fork Kitchen offers burgers, melts, bratwurst, soups, salads and desserts.

WHAT I ORDERED: I ordered the Huevos Barrachos ($8.25), a fried egg with pinto beans, peppers, onions and sweet corn, topped with cheese and pico de gallo (the menu says that any meat can be added for $1.50). The egg was perfectly fried, and every ingredient was well-proportioned. What sets Salt Fork Kitchen ahead of other small-town diners is that everything is incredibly fresh. The egg, produce and freshly pressed tortilla took the dish to another level. The portion was small, and I wished I also had asked for a side of home fries.

I also ordered the Warm Biscuit with Butter and Jam ($2.50), two flaky homemade biscuits served with a generous portion of melted butter and homemade jam. Flavors of the day I went with included white peach and raspberry, which I chose. The biscuits were a little too dry and hard, either overcooked or left out on the counter for too long. My dining companion’s biscuits were moister, so the kitchen might have some issues with consistency.

I split a slice of housemade cheesecake with raspberry jam with my dining companion. The cheesecake was dense and decadent, with a tall graham cracker crust. It tasted smooth and creamy, almost like drinking fresh cream. The raspberry jam added a fruity complement that helped cut the richness.

My dining companion ordered the Eggs Benedict ($8.50), a split biscuit topped with a thick cut of ham, poached eggs and fresh hollandaise sauce, and a Buttermilk Pancake ($1.25) with raspberry jam. He said the Eggs Benedict had “a nice balance of spice with the mellow creaminess of the hollandaise sauce,” but said the raspberry jam was by far the most memorable part of the meal.